Daasebre Oti Boateng
DAASEBRE EMERITUS Prof. Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juabeng Traditional Council, has introduced an annual Traditional Area Development Day (TADD) in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
TADD is designed specifically to serve as an interface between traditional festivals and self-help development initiatives of traditional areas. Besides, it is designed to be a special purpose vehicle for the implementation of a Pan-African Root-Based Economic Development (r-BED) model for accelerated and home-driven growth.
Speaking at the launch, Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng said the r-BED model aimed to serve as the basis for a new community development order in Ghana, Africa and other growing economies.
He indicated that it sought to empower community development beyond aid to attain self-security, self-reliance, self-determination and self-sufficiency.
The Omanhene mentioned that Ghanaian communities would have progressive functional development orientation for the continuous mass mobilization of resources by citizens, traditional leaders and the community towards investment and community development under the implementation of the r-BED model.
Besides, Daasebre said that a Community Economic Development and Investment (CEDI) trust had been established for each of the 12 communities which constituted the traditional area.
He expressed the belief that with functional community development replicated in all traditional areas in Ghana and its communities, poverty, insecurity, risky migration, insurgency, and inequalities were expected to reduce significantly.
Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who was the special guest of honour, in his remarks, said it was his hope that the initiative would serve as a turning point for traditional areas to partner with government and the private sector for local level development.
He said as co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), government believed that initiatives of such nature were necessary for the attainment of the goals.
Dr. Bawumia emphasised that the initiative would help in two important ways by providing a platform for stock-taking of community development programmes, the role of traditional authorities and chiefs in the country and also set targets in efforts to build up commitments for sustainable community.
“The r-BED module is what African governments need to complement their efforts in the areas of social and economic development. For us in Ghana, it is timely and fits into government’s vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid,” he stated.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua